Ravi Shankar Ensemble

Ravi Shankar Ensemble

Curated by Sukanya and Anoushka Shankar, the Ravi Shankar Ensemble is a multi-generational collective of world-class musicians dedicated to the masterful compositions and enduring legacy of the uniquely legendary musician, Ravi Shankar. In its debut tour, the ensemble presents a special program featuring visual elements from the Ravi Shankar archives alongside a dynamic selection of Shankar’s soul-stirring music.

Shankar was instrumental in introducing Western audiences to the classical tradition of Indian ragas. He popularized Indian classical music globally through his teaching, performances, and collaborations with Western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass, and George Harrison.

Ravi Shankar

In a career that spanned decades and continents, Maestro Ravi Shankar had an indelible imprint on global music history and culture. A virtuosic Indian musician and composer known for this mastery of the sitar, Shankar was a leading global figure of the 20th century and a major figure in the Hindustani music tradition, reshaping the centuries-old form into what is now as recognized as today and introducing Western audiences to the classical tradition of Indian Ragas. He popularized Indian classical music globally through his teaching, performances, and collaborations with Western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and George Harrison. His compositions for sitar and orchestra bridged the gap between Eastern and Western music. Shankar received the Bharat Ratna (India’s highest civilian honor), France’s Legion D’Honneur, a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, eighteen honorary doctorates and five Grammy awards, including a rare Lifetime Achievement Award.

Anubrata Chatterjee (Tabla) is one of the leading tabla artists of his generation. He is the son and disciple of the world-renowned tabla maestro, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Anubrata’s creative approach toward his music includes the traditional Farrukhabad Gharana and Lucknow styles of tabla as well as a modern touch in the presentation of his art with concepts like Beats & Pieces, The T20 of Classical Music. From Carnegie Hall to the Barbican in London from Wigmore Hall in London, to the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, Anubrata has performed at many prestigious venues and music festivals, and he has shared the stage with well-known artists globally, including Japanese Koto star, Yumi Kurosawa, Wynton Marsalis, Amjad Ali Khan, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Birju Maharaj, Ranjit Barot and Shankar Mahadeyan. Anubrata has won several awards and accolades, among the most significant, the President’s Gold Medal (2001), awarded by All India Radio; Pandit Nikhil Ghosh Memorial Award (2002); Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru Memorial National Award by Karnataka Government (2014), and Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2016).

Ravichandra Kulur (Flute) is an internationally acclaimed flute virtuoso. He began his training under his father Sri K. Raghavendra Rao and was later hailed as flute maestro by legend Pandit Ravi Shankar who invited to join him for the 2005-2006 concerts titled “Festival of India III.” He has performed over 1,200 concerts in 34 countries, gracing stages like Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Royal Festival Hall and Sydney Opera House, not to mention festivals including WOMAD, Roskilde, SF, Helsinki Festival, Bangalore Habba and many more. Ravi’s music blends Carnatic classical, world music and fusion jazz. In addition to Ravi Shankar, he has collaborated with Anoushka Shankar and AR Rahman.

B C Manjunath (Mridangam) is a dynamic artist who revealed an innate musical talent and interest in percussion from a young age, encouraged by his father, legendary mridangam player, Vidwan B K Chandramouli. Later he enlarged this musical perspective by training in Mridanga under Karnataka Kalashree K N Krishna Murthy and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri T.K.Murthy. Manjunath’s creative impulses have flowered in various forms, from classical to fusion and in solo and ensemble performances, accompanying many great artists from India and abroad, including Sangeetha Kalaratna, Sri R R Keshavamurthy, Sangeetha Kalaratna Sri H P Ramachar, Mysore M Nagaraj and Dr. Mysore M Manjunath (aka Mysore Brothers), Dr. Suma Sudhindra and Chitraveena N Ravikiran. He has also shared the stage with international legends like Turkish Sufi singer Kani Karaca and trombonist Robin Eubanks. He has worked with composers Rafael Reina, Riccardo Nova, members of Bhedam and with Conservatorium of Amsterdam, The Karnatic Lab Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, Fabrica Italy, Santander Percussion Festival (Spain), Perth International Festival, Roma Europe Festival, Milano Musica/John Cage Festival, Ictus Ensemble (Belgium), Quintetto Bibiena (Italy) and Het Nederlands Fluit Orkest. He has designed extensive online courses on Konnakol and Mridangam for rhythm enthusiasts on platforms like Livdemy and Shaale.

Aayush Mohan (Sarod) is one of the most acclaimed Sarod players on the global stage. Known for his distinguished musicality and mastery of the Indian tradition, Aayush is a proud grand-disciple of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. His training belongs to the revered Senia-Maihar Gharana, having learnt from Balwant Rai Verma, Sharan Rani and Tejendra Majumdar. Apart from his sarod recitals, he often performs alongside his brother, sitarist Lakshay Mohan, the duo being known as the Mohan Brothers. Together, they performed at the prestigious Grammy Museum in Los Angeles at the opening of the exhibition, “Ravi Shankar: A Life in Music.” The duo received a historic endorsement when the Pandit Ravi Shankar upon hearing them in 2012, launched them on their debut U.S. tour under his foundation. Aayush has performed at some of the most respected venues across the world, including Symphony Space in New York City, Berklee College of Music, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the India Fine Arts Academy in San Diego, and Gasteig in Munich. A five-time TEDx speaker, Aayush has also presented lecture-demonstrations at esteemed institutions such as Wien State University in Detroit and University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Pandit Shubhendra Rao (Sitar) is an internationally acclaimed performer, composer, cultural entrepreneur and music educator. A protégé of Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, Shubhendra Rao’s relentless service in promoting Indian music has made him a highly respected figure in the field of music and education across the world. As a composer, he pushes the boundaries of classical music across cultures, composing and collaborating with Chinese Pipa maestro Gao Hong, American Jazz Guitarist Freddie Bryant, Japanese legendary singer Ryoko Moriyama, Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, and the Chinese National Orchestra, amongst others. He is also the Founding Director of Musikul Education Pvt Ltd and co-founder of the Shubhendra and Saskia Rao Foundation, together with his wife, Dutch Cellist Saskia Rao-de Haas, transforming the way music is taught in schools in India. Together, they created Sangeet4All, India’s first early childhood music education curriculum, reaching over 80,000 children to date. As the Indian delegate of the Creative Youth Development Conference hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, he collaborates with an international team of experts on creating effective international policies on Child & Youth Arts Education. Shubhendra Rao is the first recipient of the Atal Behari Vajpayee National Award for his contribution to Art and Culture and the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Art Karat Award for Excellence for his contribution in the field of Arts.

Padma Shankar (Violin, Vocals) is an acclaimed performer, composer and educator, known for her evocative artistry and deep-rooted training in the South Indian classical tradition. A senior disciple of the legendary violin maestro Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman, Padma carries forward his legacy with a nuanced blend of melody, rhythm, and emotional depth. With over three decades of professional experience, Padma has performed extensively across India and internationally, both as a soloist and in major collaborative projects. Her work bridges classical, contemporary and global genres, making her a sought-after voice in both experimental and cross-cultural music settings. Padma has been honored with the prestigious Kalaimamani Award — the highest state recognition for excellence in the arts in Tamil Nadu— along with numerous other accolades for her contributions to Indian classical music. A dedicated educator, Padma has guided a significant number of students worldwide and recently launched Swaraved, a platform offering self-paced violin and vocal courses designed to empower independent learning.